Choosing the right type of flooring for a laundry room.

[roman45]

We are redoing our laundry room, about 8x10, including new flooring. The old flooring is sheet vinyl circa 1984. Being that it might contain asbestos, we want it to be encapsulated. We have been given 4 choices and I was wondering if anyone had any preferences for a laundry room. Our 4 choices are a floating floor, linoleum, Rockwell vinyl squares or tile and grout. I was wondering about tiles and if they needed regular sealing or not.

 

[JPfloor]

1st choice Linoleum… Cove it up the walls and heat weld the seams.
Next choice Tile and grout. Yes, seal the grout. It should be sealed regularly, once every ten or twenty years…

Having said that I have carpet tile in my laundry room. Comfy cozy with stocking feet and easy to change a section when needed…. I have carpet tile in my garage too…

 

[Floorist]

We are redoing our laundry room, about 8x10, including new flooring. The old flooring is sheet vinyl circa 1984. Being that it might contain asbestos, we want it to be encapsulated. We have been given 4 choices and I was wondering if anyone had any preferences for a laundry room. Our 4 choices are a floating floor, linoleum, Rockwell vinyl squares or tile and grout. I was wondering about tiles and if they needed regular sealing or not.

If this will be DIY. Get vinyl-backed vinyl, easy cut to fit, 1/4 round on the edges and done.

 

[rugaddict]

Sheet vinyl is the best—— btw very little vinyl from 84 had any asbestos in it —- if you don’t want to rip it up you can skim coat and go over it or put down 1/4 ply

 

[Jon]

If this will be DIY. Get vinyl-backed vinyl, easy cut to fit, 1/4 round on the edges and done.

i agree even if you are getting a pro to lay it over using a linoleum product

 

[roman45]

Thanks guys. Looks like it's linoleum for me.

 

[Jon]

Out of curiosity why did you pick linoleum over a normal vinyl with a plastic type of backing?

 

[JPfloor]

Out of curiosity why did you pick linoleum over a normal vinyl with a plastic type of backing?

Can’t answer for the gentleman but it wasn’t one of the four choices given to him.

 

[C.J.]

Out of curiosity why did you pick linoleum over a normal vinyl with a plastic type of backing?

Could be the OP is just using the term linoleum as a generic term for sheet vinyl. Then again if he did get some actual linoleum that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

 

[Floorist]

Don't think you can even buy lino around here.

 

[JPfloor]

Could be the OP is just using the term linoleum as a generic term for sheet vinyl.

I was thinking that too although in the original post he did use the term sheet vinyl to describe the existing floor.

Nothing wrong with linoleum that I can think of. Been around since the 1800s. Natural product that has served well then and still does now.

 

[C.J.]

There’s one place in town that can get Forbo here in Phoenix but you gotta special order it. Finding a qualified installer might be a whole different story. In Charlotte Forbo wouldn’t even let some distributors carry the roll goods, just the marmo click tiles. Quality control? I think so. I lived there for a few years so I can see why.

 

[Incognito]

We are redoing our laundry room, about 8x10, including new flooring. The old flooring is sheet vinyl circa 1984. Being that it might contain asbestos, we want it to be encapsulated. We have been given 4 choices and I was wondering if anyone had any preferences for a laundry room. Our 4 choices are a floating floor, linoleum, Rockwell vinyl squares or tile and grout. I was wondering about tiles and if they needed regular sealing or not.

*******************************************************
If you're on slab on grade concrete circa 1984 you'll want to tear that vinyl out. It's not going to have asbestos but it's worth testing for the 1-2% chance I'm wrong.

If the substrate is wood and not concrete then you might consider stapling another layer of 1/4" underlayment and laying LVT (Rockwell vinyl squares). That would be my choice if you're not going to demo the existing.

Floating floors in a wet area are something I disapprove of because water will get down into the seams and then under the flooring to become a potential problem for mold and bacteria. Also, I just don't trust the whole click together racket and dont like the installation systems.

Ceramic tile----I would want to demo out the existing under any and all circumstances. You will always want to seal the grout unless it's an epoxy grout.

Linoleum------or sheet vinyl I'd want that existing removed for sure but to lay over the existing vinyl is fairly common with proper floor prep, usually an "embossing levelor". embossing levelor - Google Search

Laying over existing is cheaper and faster and that's why it's common. Doesn't make it right. Generally speaking it's a risk stores and installers are willing to take with YOUR money.

 

[roman45]

Okay, guys. When I wrote Linoleum what I really meant was sheet vinyl like they sell at home depot. What we have here, to be specific, is a concrete floor with vinyl sheet on it. This was done when we converted the garge into a den and laundry room in 1984. The reason I think it might have asbestos is because i found an extra roll of it saved in storage and it has paper backing. Looking at the answers here, I was wondering if the embossing levelor, which the guy is planning on using , would encapsulate the old vinyl flooring.

 

[Floorist]

If the embossing is not real deep, you can put vinyl-backed vinyl right over it and it should not show through.

 

[JPfloor]

Looking at the answers here, I was wondering if the embossing levelor, which the guy is planning on using , would encapsulate the old vinyl flooring.

It will. So will the new floor on top. And if you want to remove the old sheet vinyl you can do that too. The only worry with asbestos in old flooring is if you grind or scrape it during demo and create dust. Asbestos was banned in 1978. As already mentioned it’s highly unlikely that floor from 1984 contains asbestos.

 

[Floorist]

It will. So will the new floor on top. And if you want to remove the old sheet vinyl you can do that too. The only worry with asbestos in old flooring is if you grind or scrape it during demo and create dust. Asbestos was banned in 1978. As already mentioned it’s highly unlikely that floor from 1984 contains asbestos.

But they could sell any they had in stock. So it is possible.

 

[JPfloor]

True enough. It’s possible.

I still wouldn’t worry one bit about it. In solid form there is little to no risk. If you want to remove it, wet it down a bit to keep the dust down and wear a mask. You should do that on all demo work, with or without asbestos. Most mesothelioma cases are caused by months or years of breathing in asbestos dust. Primarily the spray on insulation used on pipes and such.

A lot of lawyers got rich from class action suits. Truth is, unless we’re talking about prolonged exposure, it’s just not as dangerous as they make it out to be.

If you found a pack of cigarettes on the floor would you call an abatement company to remove it?

Just my opinion, based on fact. If you want to delete this post I’d understand.

 

[Floorist]

True enough. It’s possible.

I still wouldn’t worry one bit about it. In solid form there is little to no risk. If you want to remove it, wet it down a bit to keep the dust down and wear a mask. You should do that on all demo work, with or without asbestos. Most mesothelioma cases are caused by months or years of breathing in asbestos dust. Primarily the spray on insulation used on pipes and such.

A lot of lawyers got rich from class action suits. Truth is, unless we’re talking about prolonged exposure, it’s just not as dangerous as they make it out to be.

If you found a pack of cigarettes on the floor would you call an abatement company to remove it?

Just my opinion, based on fact. If you want to delete this post I’d understand.

I agree, Just like the lead risk from paint, both way overblown.

 

[DarisMulkin]

I agree, Just like the lead risk from paint, both way overblown.

Lead paint is very easy to take care of, just enscapulate it-I learned that in a lead paint class. Now my daughter lived in a 100 year old farm house. The paint was peeling in/on window sills what have you. My granddaughters high chair was next to one of those windows and she tested positive for lead. Long story short she has no damage from it, thank goodness. She is one of the lucky ones.
But anytime a lawyer gets involved it is going to go overboard.